He sent her a hand signal that asked, “okay?”
She gave him the same sign back.
Then she grinned and also gave him a thumbs up.
Cheeky wench.
She knew full well that was the universal diving gesture for heading topside.
Soon, sweetheart. Soon.
CHAPTER 6
Tabitha had never been sohappy to see someone in her life. Even though she couldn’t touch him, it was icing on the cake that Spencer was here. Already she was calmer, which was something that was extremely necessary to her predicament. There’d be no room for panic; no room for error. Her life, and possibly even Spencer’s depended on it.
Ever since her parents had died of carbon monoxide poisoning, Tabitha had nightmares where she woke up feeling like she couldn’t breathe. Wasn’t it ironic that in a short while, she was going to be feeling the decrease in oxygen levels in this cabin. It was going to be tough to manage her fear as the air-space dwindled down to a small pocket, but Spencer’s presence would help. He didn’t seem stressed. He not only appeared calm while he was busy assessing the conditions outside her sub, but he looked almost cheerful, like this was something he loved to do.
She’d happily watch him for as long as she was able, communicating with him every fifteen minutes, which…
Yes!
It was time to turn her battery power back on and have a chat.
Tabitha found the proper switch and flipped it, immediately hearing the whir of fans as they began stirring the air around her again. Relief flooded her body. The quiet had been starting to get to her. The slight breeze and small amount of noise was, if not soothing, at least distracting.
She let out a thankful sigh that restoration of her power had been possible. There were no guarantees that the water leaking into her hull wouldn’t eventually short out her batteries. She was hoping the protective casings they were in would have that occurring later, rather than sooner, but it was definitely a crap shoot.
“Hey, Tabbi. How are you doing?” Spencer asked, pulling her from her reveries. She stared out her porthole and watched as he lifted what Tabitha recognized as a cutting tool and tank from a large net.
Obviously, his alarm had let him know she was back, live.
Tabitha answered immediately. “I’ve been in better situations, but now that the most fascinating man I’ve met in years has suddenly appeared, I’m feeling a lot better.”
Yeah.She wasn’t going to beat around the bush. There was something about Spencer that just did it for her, and if he got her out of this mess, she was abso-freaking-lutely going to jump his fricking bones.
Spencer shrugged and turned his back to her, placing a hand above his mask as if searching around. “Where? Who?” he asked amusedly.
“Oh, come on now,” Tabitha continued to flirt, because what the hell else did she have to do with her time? “You had to have been told how handsome you are.”
“Maybe a time or two…by my mother, aunts, and cousins,” he quipped. “But hearing it from you, sweetheart? That’s a whole different deal.”
This was the second time Spencer had called her sweetheart, and Tabitha loved it.
“Hey,” Tabitha teased back. “I didn’t sayIthought you were handsome, just that you’ve probably heard it before.”
He huffed while grinning. “That’s disappointing. Here I thought I’d bowled you over. So, tell me. Am I? Handsome I mean?” he asked.
No games.
Tabitha was going to play this straight down the line. “Hell, yes. And as well as your stunning beauty, I’ll boost your ego even more by telling you you’re also rocking quite the stellar ass. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“Ahh, an ass woman, huh?” he snickered while assembling his rig. “Good to know. Just wait until you see how well I canflexthose glutes.”
She thrilled, picturing it, but…
“Uh, uh. I’m not interested inseeing, as much asfeeling. Hopefully having that occur while your ass is in my hands and other parts of your body are…engaged.”
There was a strangled cough. “Uh, Tabitha? You do know this conversation isn’t private, right? Pietro is above, listening to every word.”
